Thanks for stopping by and your encouraging comments.

I will add that not everyone agrees with classic three-act structure in film these days. Tom Lazarus who wrote the script for “Stigmata” and teaches at UCLA writes in his book “Secrets of Film Writing”: “The classic three-act structure…in my admittedly controversial opinion, is horribly outdated as a structure for motion picture scripts.”

The main reason for this Lazarus says is because audiences have become story hip and expect our entertainment at a faster paced. But six years after his book was published a little classically structured film called “Juno” won audiences (over $140 million domestic) and an Oscar for best original screenplay for Diablo Cody.

So classic structure is not dead. As Robert McKee says, “The Archplot is neither ancient nor modern; Western nor Eastern; it is human.” Apparently even a post-MTV music generation understands and appeciates a story well told via classic structure.

And may I point out that last year as well a visually interesting yet sprawling film “The Darjeeling Limited” failed big at the box office.

Not to say all non-archplot or antiplot films fail at the box office, it’s just a tougher sell. And it’s a tougher sell for the screenwriter trying to get his or her screenplay sold when they avoid classic structure.

I think where counter-culture shines in movies is in the content not the structure. I think it’s fair to say that Juno’s story of adoption was counter-cultural and no studio would have thought about making that film ten years ago.

We need counter-cultural stories to keep us on our toes. “The 40 Year Old Version” was crass, yet counter-cultural at the same time. Perhaps the lesson there is if you are going to be counter-cultural make people laugh.

As films get cheaper to make I think you will see filmmakers become more provocative. Certainly, after Enron, the housing market downturn, and the economy in general the time is rip for a counter-cultural story with consumerism as the backdrop.

You might even get Jack Johnson to do the music.

Scott

I would like to make one comment about counter culture.

With out the counter culture we can not truly appreciate the structure that allows our daily life to function with ease.

In the case of a door. We would never love the door for what it is, if we had never learned that it could be built another way.

The counterculture door stands as a decoration to everyday structure. It displays the old methods and presents them with new light.

Thanks again for the post, I really do love this one.

Nick

No Joke.

You even quote David Mamet. I am really impressed.

Please, for the love of film, keep this blog running. Your content is educated and resourceful.

You have a new dedicated reader.

Thanks again.

Nick